Use of medicinal plants as a remedy against lymphatic filariasis: Current status and future prospect
Authors
Fatima Fordjour
Department of Microbiology, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana
Priscilla Osei‐Poku
Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, College of Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
Afua Genfi
Department of Biochemistry, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana
Kwaw Ainooson
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
Kingsley Amponsah
Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
Patrick Arthur
Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
G Stephenson
School of Chemistry, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
Alexander Kwarteng
Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, College of Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
Despite the successes achieved so far with the Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis, there is still an appreciable number of lymphatic filarial patients who need alternative treatment and morbidity management strategies. The unresponsiveness of some cohorts to the drugs used in the mass drug administration program is currently raising a lot of questions and this needs urgent attention. Natural medicinal plants have a long‐standing history of being effective against most disease conditions. Countries such as India have been able to integrate their natural plant remedies into the treatment of lymphatic filarial conditions, and the results are overwhelmingly positive. Components of Azadirachta indica A. Juss, Parkia biglobosa, Adansonia digitata, and Ocimum spp have been shown to have anti‐inflammatory, anticancerous, and antimicrobial activities in animal models. Therefore, this review calls for attention toward the use of natural plant components as an alternate treatment against lymphatic filariasis to help reduce the World Health Organization's burden of providing drugs for people in need of treatment every year.
Keywords: antibiotics, anticancer, anti‐inflammatory, lymphatic filariasis, medicinal plants
Author Biographies
Fatima Fordjour, Department of Microbiology, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana
Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, College of Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
Priscilla Osei‐Poku, Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, College of Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
Alexander Kwarteng, Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, College of Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
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